CHAPTER 9. Pharmacy [4000 - 4426]

ARTICLE 21. Pharmacists Recovery Program [4360 - 4373]

The board shall operate a pharmacists recovery program to rehabilitate pharmacists and intern pharmacists whose competency may be impaired due to abuse of alcohol, drug use, or mental illness. The intent of the pharmacists recovery program is to return these pharmacists and intern pharmacists to the practice of pharmacy in a manner that will not endanger the public health and safety.

(b) A pharmacist or intern pharmacist who enters the pharmacists recovery program pursuant to paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) shall not be subject to discipline or other enforcement action by the board solely on his or her entry into the pharmacists recovery program or on information obtained from the pharmacist or intern pharmacist while participating in the program unless the pharmacist or intern pharmacist would pose a threat to the health and safety of the public. However, if the board receives information regarding the conduct of the pharmacist or intern pharmacist, that information may serve as a basis for discipline or other enforcement by the board.

(a) The board shall establish criteria for the participation of pharmacists and intern pharmacists in the pharmacists recovery program.

(b) The board may deny a pharmacist or intern pharmacist who fails to meet the criteria for participation entry into the pharmacists recovery program.

(c) The establishment of criteria for participation in the pharmacists recovery program shall not be subject to the requirements of Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code.

(a) Any failure to comply with the treatment contract, determination that the participant is failing to derive benefit from the program, or other requirements of the pharmacists recovery program may result in the termination of the pharmacist’s or intern pharmacist’s participation in the pharmacists recovery program. The name and license number of a pharmacist or intern pharmacist who is terminated from the pharmacists recovery program and the basis for the termination shall be reported to the board.

(b) Participation in the pharmacists recovery program shall not be a defense to any disciplinary action that may be taken by the board.

(c) No provision of this article shall preclude the board from commencing disciplinary action against a licensee who is terminated from the pharmacists recovery program.

(a) The executive officer of the board shall designate a program manager of the pharmacists recovery program. The program manager shall have background experience in dealing with substance abuse issues.

(b) The program manager shall review the pharmacists recovery program on a quarterly basis. As part of this evaluation, the program manager shall review files of all participants in the pharmacists recovery program.

(c) The program manager shall work with the contractor administering the pharmacists recovery program to evaluate participants in the program according to established guidelines and to develop treatment contracts and evaluate participant progress in the program.

All board records and records of the pharmacists recovery program pertaining to the treatment of a pharmacist or intern pharmacist in the program shall be kept confidential and are not subject to discovery, subpoena, or disclosure pursuant to Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 6250) of Division 7 of Title 1 of the Government Code. However, board records and records of the pharmacists recovery program may be disclosed and testimony provided in connection with participation in the pharmacists recovery program, but only to the extent those records or testimony are relevant to the conduct for which the pharmacist or intern pharmacist was terminated from the pharmacists recovery program.